


Ice Cream and Human History

by mouthword



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Earth C (Homestuck), M/M, Slice of Life, Summer lovin' having a blast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-13
Updated: 2017-05-13
Packaged: 2018-10-31 04:53:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10892109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mouthword/pseuds/mouthword
Summary: Dave explains the wonders of ice cream trucks to Karkat.(For the HADS art/fic collab event, with art by mithryl-ninja.tumblr.com )





	Ice Cream and Human History

**Author's Note:**

> Art by mithryl-ninja.tumblr.com , check 'em out!

**_"Uuuuggghhhh! It's hotter than His Honorable Tyranny's left shameglobe out here!"_** Karkat let out an obnoxious groan, sticking his tongue out and pulling a 'bluh' face.

  
  


There were a few key differences between the Human Kingdom and the Troll Kingdom. Aside from the other notable societal differences between the two civilizations, the Troll Kingdom is home to a civilization of nocturnal beings. As such, the land most heavily inhabited by trolls is a continent that's typically cold and shrouded in darkness, as this was the most habitable state for trolls to live in. However, the Human Kingdom had more definitive seasons, as was preferential to most humans.

 

As such, being a troll visiting the Human Kingdom during the hottest, sunniest time of the year wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.

 

Dave and Karkat had been visiting the Human Kingdom for something of a spontaneous get together. John had spent most of the colder months indoors, and Jane had been heavily involved in her work, everyone else felt as if the two deserved a break, just to relax and enjoy the nice weather. A pool party of sorts, at a community pool, just for the gods to goof around and have a good time.

 

It should also be noted that trolls without fins typically don't take too kindly to water.

 

Karkat stood beside Dave, dressed in a pair of red swimtrunks and a baggy white tee shirt, with Dave donning a similar swimsuit, sans shirt, hair already wet from John having thrown him in the pool multiple times so far. He held a generic red single cup in his hand, shades resting atop his head as he partook in some conversation with friends he hadn't seen in a long time. Once Karkat realized he was clearly being ignored, he let out another groan and smooshed his cheek to Dave's shoulder, earning a damp arm around his waist with a small rub to his side.

 

"Dude, I told you it'd be hot out here. You should go stick your legs in the water or something. Grab yourself some gross clown soda. Maybe help us determine what we need to alchemize with gross clown soda to make decent soda. I'm pretty sure the alchemiter has some sort of weird copyright infringement detector on items you don't actually have in your inventory. Like 'sure you can make 20 more iPhones since you've given your money to the Apple corporation already but Mountain Dew? Nah son. Have some more gross clown soda.'" Dave rambled on a bit, before pressing a small smooch to his temple.

 

"I don't think I trust that water. Dipping my feet into a vat of chemicals and risking having John knock me in so everyone can witness me not being able to swim like a pathetic flapping wriggler. I'll pass." He wrinkled his nose at the cup in Dave's hand. "And I don't think I'm desperate enough to willingly drink Faygo just yet." He let out an elongated sigh, leaning a bit of weight on Dave. "Have we made enough of a royal appearance? The air conditioner beckons me, Dave."

 

Dave just chuckled in response, giving him a little pat on the back. "Alright, we'll book it in a couple minutes here. Gotta say goodbye to everyone. Try not to revert into a gelatinous state while I do." He unhooked his arm from around him, offering a small wave across the pool to Rose, making a series of hand gestures indicating that they were going to leave, before grabbing the bag that held the rest of their clothes, as well as their towels and other essential items. 

 

"I can't help but become gelatinous, Dave. Trolls are not built for direct sunlight. My hot mutant blood may literally be boiling right now, Dave." Karkat stated, hunched over without Dave to lean on. He watched the other make sure they had all of their stuff, before the distant sound of music caught his attention. Weird, happy, twiney music. He glanced over his shoulder to peer over the fence at a large white van, slowing down near the curb as a few human children approached it. He squinted at it for a good minute, before tapping Dave on the shoulder. "Who's that?" He motioned towards the van, and the man inside handing off a SBAHJ themed ice cream pop to one of the kids in line.

 

"What, the ice cream man?" Dave adjusted the bag on his shoulder a bit. "Wait. Trolls have creamsicles but they don't have ice cream trucks?" He quirked a brow at the other.

 

"Why would you put ice cream in a truck? Who needs an entire truck full of ice cream?" Karkat gave a small scoff, walking towards the gate to get a better look at it. "No, we don't have ice cream trucks."

 

"Oh man, you guys missed out, this is a primo piece of human nostalgia right here." Dave reached over to open the gate for Karkat, stepping in line for the ice cream truck and pulling out a few dollars. "They're basically like...pizza delivery guys. But with ice cream. And instead of ordering the ice cream they just randomly appear, like frozen delicacy cryptids."

 

"Huh." Karkat stepped in line behind him, looking over the menu on the side of the van. "What's with the vaguely cartoon character shaped ice cream bar things?" 

 

"I think that's mostly because human children are more likely to eat something if you slap a cartoon character on the side. That's where ZooPals got their millions after all."

 

"ZooPals?" Karkat quirked a brow at him.

 

"One piece of awesome human history at a time." Dave stepped closer to the truck once the person in front of him finished up. "What do you want to get?"

 

Karkat looked over the side of the truck once more, before looking back to Dave. "...Get me a Ninja Turtle one."

 

"The ice cream truck corporation scores another dollar on their sick sweet copyright tie-ins. Gimme a Ninja Turtle bar and an orange creamsicle." He handed his cash off to the ice cream man, who was quick to give them their ice cream. One doesn't keep a god waiting, after all.

 

 

Karkat looked over the ice cream bar for a few seconds, staring into Raphael's dead, emotionless, gumball eyes. 

 

"Better hurry before it melts, dude." Dave took a bite out of the corner of his creamsicle, watching Karkat examine his. He wondered if the other would be mad if he started recording him, this was priceless.

 

Karkat took another few seconds, before bringing his tongue to the green of the popsicle. "Hmm." He gave a satisfied sort of hum, before taking a bite out of the side of its head. "Not bad. This is easily one of the more decent severed turtle heads I've eaten." His face was more relaxed than his previous sour expression, not necessarily smiling, but no longer pouting about the weather. He followed Dave down the sidewalk to the nearest transportalizer, his step slow as he tried to finish the Ninja Turtle pop before it melted or fell apart. He was significantly happier, which pleased Dave. Not just because it made him stop whining about the weather, either. It was nice to have these little moments where Dave could share some cool human thing with Karkat.

 

"So...what are ZooPals?"

 

"Oh, dude, you're in for a treat with this one. _So. The year was 2004..."_


End file.
